Health Information : Intestinal Obstruction

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What is Intestinal Obstruction?

Intestinal Obstruction is the blockage of small or large intestine that prevents the passage of fluids and digested food. Due to this, food, fluids, gastric acids and gas accumulate at the site of blockage and starts building pressure in your intestine. If pressure increases beyond a point, your intestine can rupture causing the leakage of harmful intestinal contents and bacteria into the abdominal cavity, which is a life-threatening situation.

What causes Intestinal Obstruction?

The most common causes of Intestinal Obstruction are:

Intestinal adhesions

• Bowel cancer
• Hernia
• Crohn’s disease
• Diverticulitis
• Twisting of the
• Bowel
• Impacted feces
• Malformation of intestine

What are the symptoms of Intestinal Obstruction?

There are certain uncomfortable symptoms that are experienced during Intestinal Obstruction, namely:

• Severe bloating
• Pain in abdomen that comes and goes
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Nausea and vomiting
• Not able to pass gas or stool
• Abdominal swelling
• Loss of appetite

How can Intestinal Obstruction be treated?

For Intestinal Obstruction, initially you may require hospitalisation to stabilise your condition. In case, it is partial Intestinal Obstruction in which some fluid and food can pass through then you may not require further treatment as the obstruction will clear by itself in sometime. In case, it doesn’t then you may require surgery.

If it is complete Intestinal Obstruction, then surgery is the only option where your doctor will remove the blockage and also that part of the intestine that has died or damaged.